What Will Apple Announce Next Month?

Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference happens on August 7th-11th in San Francisco. The company has already said that it'll reveal more details about the next generation of Mac OS X (known as Leopard), and there's been lots of logical speculation that the company may unveil high-end Intel-based desktops known as Mac Pros. And now Apple rumor site (and Steve Jobs bete noir) Think Secret is reporting that there will be a couple of significant iPod-related announcements, too.

In one story, Think Secret says that Apple will reveal that it will offer feature-length movie rentals, based on deals with Disney, Warner Bros., Universal, and Paramount. Yup, rentals--not purchases, like the model that Apple follows with the iTunes Music Store, where 99 cents gets you a song that's yours to keep.

And in another piece, it says that Apple will announce second-generation iPod Nanos, with higher capacities, metallic finishes, and more colors.

These are, at this point, rumors--Think Secret has sometimes been uncannily accurate (like when it predicted the first Mac Mini, prompting Apple to sue site proprietor "Nick De Plume"), but it's sometimes just as off target (like it was when it said this year's Macworld Expo would see the release of a DVR-enabled Mac Mini and feature-length film downloads).

We shall see what we shall see...